Delta announced an ambitious expansion yesterday for its Song discount unit that would boost presence in several of rival JetBlue's strongest markets. On Nov. 1, Song will add nonstop flights between San Francisco (SFO) and Orlando and will also boost flights on existing routes to Florida from both New York and Boston. Perhaps not coincidentally, those Northeast-to-Florida routes have been some of JetBlue's strongest over the past years, and the increased competition is likely to pressure fares downward, Reuters predicts. The New York Times (free registration) reports Song will also add a second nonstop flight between Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, a route that closely matches the Long Beach-Fort Lauderdale service offered by JetBlue.
Delta's move to position Song more aggressively in JetBlue's strongest markets is a bold move, but one has to wonder if financially beleaguered Delta can withstand several rounds of fare wars against JetBlue and its stronger balance sheet. As for Song's new San Francisco-Orlando flight, that's part of an increased presence at SFO for the discount carrier … something that's meant to at least partially counter the large base JetBlue has built up across the bay in Oakland. In addition to the pending Orlando service, Song also flies from SFO to New York JFK, and will add nonstop flights to Boston in September, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Efficiency apparently played a role in the new flights. Air Transport World reports that 12 of the new flights were made possible after Song began turning its planes around more quickly at the gates. Quicker turnaround times allow airlines to squeeze more flying hours out of their planes.
Good Luck Delta.
Delta's move to position Song more aggressively in JetBlue's strongest markets is a bold move, but one has to wonder if financially beleaguered Delta can withstand several rounds of fare wars against JetBlue and its stronger balance sheet. As for Song's new San Francisco-Orlando flight, that's part of an increased presence at SFO for the discount carrier … something that's meant to at least partially counter the large base JetBlue has built up across the bay in Oakland. In addition to the pending Orlando service, Song also flies from SFO to New York JFK, and will add nonstop flights to Boston in September, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Efficiency apparently played a role in the new flights. Air Transport World reports that 12 of the new flights were made possible after Song began turning its planes around more quickly at the gates. Quicker turnaround times allow airlines to squeeze more flying hours out of their planes.
Good Luck Delta.